If you’re a fan of dark fantasy, gritty mythology, and stories that aren’t afraid to peer into the shadowy corners of the human psyche, then Matt Spencer’s work is a must-read. In this exclusive author interview, Matt opens up about the inspirations behind his genre-blending stories, from Victorian horror to post-apocalyptic adventures, and the deeply personal threads woven throughout his fiction. Whether he’s exploring faith, fractured identities, or forbidden love, Spencer delivers narratives that are emotionally raw, spiritually charged, and unapologetically bold. Read on to discover the mind behind the mythos. Across the collection, each story feels like a distinct voice—ranging from gothic to mythic to post-apocalyptic. How do you shift your narrative tone so effectively between stories? I prefer to avoid being a one-trick pony. I love and appreciate all kinds of literature, from shamelessly pulpy, to “literary fiction”, to the bonkers experimental, to everything ...
The book we will be reviewing today is Chapel of Falcon and Other Stories written by Matt Spencer. It is a fantasy short story collection filled with themes of gods, witches, time slips, dystopia, and forbidden love. Matt Spencer is the author of the Deschembine Trilogy ( The Night and the Land , The Trail of the Beast , The Blazing Chief ) and other notable works like Changing of the Guards and The Renegade God . He’s a jack-of-all-trades who has been a journalist, cook, radio DJ, actor, martial artist, and currently works at a homeless shelter in Vermont. Grab your copy here This collection holds seven stories, each unique in tone and theme, but bound together by Spencer’s rich, mystic worldbuilding and recurring spiritual and mythological motifs. Here’s a peek into a few of them: Chapel of Falcon Told from the third-person perspective, this story follows Frederick Hawthrone as he uncovers the layered myth of Lady and Lord Falcon—divine beings held captive by Lady Seibre. Th...